GSMP: General Specifications Change Notification (GSCN) GSCN # GSCN Name Effective Date 16-477 FNC1 vs. <GS> 20-Dec-2016 Associated Work Request (WR) Number: WR 16-477 Background: The GS1 General Specifications have always stated that the Function 1 Symbol Character (FNC1) must be used as the data separator in all GS1 barcodes that use the GS1 AI standards. As FNC1 has no ASCII value, when it is used as a separator character it is transmitted as <GS> (ASCII value 29). This has meant that some people, working backwards from the transmitted data, have used <GS> as the separator character and not FNC1. This is presently an error, but it makes no difference to the transmitted data when the barcode is scanned. It is also simply not possible to use a FNC1 with GS1 QR Code, as it is not part of the encodable character set. [The FNC1 Symbol Character is one of the four Function Characters in Code 128, but they have no ASCII equivalent and are not intended to be transmitted. When the double start pattern for GS1-128 is used, the combination of Start A, B, or C and FNC1 is transmitted as the symbology identifier. When FNC1 is used as a data separator, there is no direct translation for it into ASCII, so the value <GS> must be used instead.] If <GS> were allowed as a data separator, the scanners would not know the difference. Using FNC1 in GS1- 128 is more space efficient than using <GS>, because using <GS> will often require a change in character set, and two extra symbol characters might be needed to handle this. However if the barcode still fits within its allocated space, there is no problem for the scanner and the system receiving the data. Using FNC1 rather than <GS> is still preferred in GS1 DataMatrix. GS1 QR Code cannot use FNC1 as this is not available as a character, so ‘%’ or ‘GS’ has to be used. (QR Code uses a Function 1 mode character in its first position to indicate that the symbol is a GS1 QR Code, but this is not the same as a Function 1 symbol character.) FNC1 is still the better option as a data separator for GS1-128 (it appears in all three characters sets) but using <GS> instead causes no scanning problems. To allow for <GS> to be used would mean that some barcodes created sub-optimally will be acceptable rather than rejected by a verifier. A warning and advice about ideally using FNC1 can still be provided to users. Note: The original text for this GSCN includes the changes made to version 16 of the GS1 General Specifications by GSCN 15-306. GS1 General Specification Change: GS1 General Specifications 3.1 Introduction This section describes the meaning, structure, and function of the GS1 system element strings so they can be correctly processed in users’ application programmes. An element string is the combination of a GS1 Application Identifier and a GS1 Application Identifier data field. The allowable character set to be used for GS1 Application Identifier element strings is defined in section 7.117.117.11 . There are AIs that have additional syntax restrictions, e.g. numerical only; see below Formatted: Font: Verdana, 9 pt, Italic definition for each AI. Automatic processing of element strings in business applications requires information about the type of transaction to which the transferred data refers. See section 7 for an explanation of this process. Element strings can be carried by GS1-128, GS1 DataBar symbology, GS1 Composite, GS1 DataMatrix and GS1 QR Code symbols. The rules for use and interrelationships between the GS1 Application Identifiers are contained in section 2 and 4. When a pre -defined length GS1 key and attributes are encoded together, the GS1 key SHOULD appear before the attributes. In most cases pre -defined length element strings SHOULD be followed by non - pre -defined element strings. The sequence of pre -defined and non - pre -defined element strings should be at the discretion of the brand ownercreator of the element strings. Commented [CJ51]: WR15-258 3.2 GS1 Application Identifiers in numerical order Figure 3.2-1. GS1 Application Identifiers AI Data Content Format (*) FNC1 required Data title (****) 00 Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) N2+N18 SSCC 01 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) N2+N14 GTIN 02 GTIN of contained trade items N2+N14 CONTENT 10 Batch or lot number N2+X..20 (FNC1) BATCH/LOT 11 (**) Production date (YYMMDD) N2+N6 PROD DATE 12 (**) Due date (YYMMDD) N2+N6 DUE DATE 13 (**) Packaging date (YYMMDD) N2+N6 PACK DATE 15 (**) Best before date (YYMMDD) N2+N6 BEST BEFORE or BEST BY 16 (**) Sell by date (YYMMDD) N2+N6 SELL BY 17 (**) Expiration date (YYMMDD) N2+N6 USE BY OR EXPIRY 20 Variant number N2+N2 VARIANT 21 Serial number N2+X..20 (FNC1) SERIAL 240 Additional item identification N3+X..30 (FNC1) ADDITIONAL ID 241 Customer part number N3+X..30 (FNC1) CUST. PART NO. 242 Made-to-Order variation number N3+N..6 (FNC1) MTO VARIANT 243 Packaging component number N3+X..20 (FNC1) PCN 250 Secondary serial number N3+X..30 (FNC1) SECONDARY SERIAL 251 Reference to source entity N3+X..30 (FNC1) REF. TO SOURCE 253 Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI) N3+N13+X..17 (FNC1) GDTI 254 GLN extension component N3+X..20 (FNC1) GLN EXTENSION COMPONENT 255 Global Coupon Number (GCN) N3+N13+N..12 (FNC1) GCN 30 Count of items (variable measure trade item) N2+N..8 (FNC1) VAR. COUNT Release 16.0, Ratified, Jan 2016 © 2016 GS1 AISBL Page 131 of 468 GS1 General Specifications AI Data Content Format (*) FNC1 required Data title (****) 310 n Net weight, kilograms (variable measure trade N4+N6 NET WEIGHT Commented [CJ52]: WR16-410 Addition of ‘n’ behind (***) item) (kg) all AIs that specify a number of decimal places 311 n Length or first dimension, metres (variable N4+N6 LENGTH (m) (***) measure trade item) 312 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, metres N4+N6 WIDTH (m) (***) (variable measure trade item) 313 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (m) (***) metres (variable measure trade item) 314 n Area, square metres (variable measure trade N4+N6 AREA (m 2) (***) item) 315 n Net volume, litres (variable measure trade N4+N6 NET VOLUME (l) (***) item) 316 n Net volume, cubic metres (variable measure N4+N6 NET VOLUME (***) trade item) (m 3) 320 n Net weight, pounds (variable measure trade N4+N6 NET WEIGHT (***) item) (lb) 321 n Length or first dimension, inches (variable N4+N6 LENGTH (i) (***) measure trade item) 322 n Length or first dimension, feet (variable N4+N6 LENGTH (f) (***) measure trade item) 323 n Length or first dimension, yards (variable N4+N6 LENGTH (y) (***) measure trade item) 324 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, inches N4+N6 WIDTH (i) (***) (variable measure trade item) 325 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, feet N4+N6 WIDTH (f) (***) (variable measure trade item) 326 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, yards N4+N6 WIDTH (y) (***) (variable measure trade item) 327 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (i) (***) inches (variable measure trade item) 328 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (f) (***) feet (variable measure trade item) 329 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (y) (***) yards (variable measure trade item) 330 n Logistic weight, kilograms N4+N6 GROSS WEIGHT (***) (kg) 331 n Length or first dimension, metres N4+N6 LENGTH (m), log (***) 332 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, metres N4+N6 WIDTH (m), log (***) 333 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (m), log (***) metres 334 n Area, square metres N4+N6 AREA (m 2), log (***) 335 n Logistic volume, litres N4+N6 VOLUME (l), log (***) 336 n Logistic volume, cubic metres N4+N6 VOLUME (m 3), (***) log 337 n Kilograms per square metre N4+N6 KG PER m² (***) Release 16.0, Ratified, Jan 2016 © 2016 GS1 AISBL Page 132 of 468 GS1 General Specifications AI Data Content Format (*) FNC1 required Data title (****) 340 n Logistic weight, pounds N4+N6 GROSS WEIGHT (***) (lb) 341 n Length or first dimension, inches N4+N6 LENGTH (i), log (***) 342 n Length or first dimension, feet N4+N6 LENGTH (f), log (***) 343 n Length or first dimension, yards N4+N6 LENGTH (y), log (***) 344 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, inches N4+N6 WIDTH (i), log (***) 345 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, feet N4+N6 WIDTH (f), log (***) 346 n Width, diameter, or second dimension, yard N4+N6 WIDTH (y), log (***) 347 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (i), log (***) inches 348 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (f), log (***) feet 349 n Depth, thickness, height, or third dimension, N4+N6 HEIGHT (y), log (***) yards 350 n Area, square inches (variable measure trade N4+N6 AREA (i 2) (***) item) 351 n Area, square feet (variable measure trade N4+N6 AREA (f 2) (***) item) 352 n Area, square yards (variable measure trade N4+N6 AREA (y 2) (***) item) 353 n Area, square inches N4+N6 AREA (i 2), log (***) 354 n Area, square feet N4+N6 AREA (f 2), log (***) 355 n Area, square yards N4+N6 AREA (y 2), log (***) 356 n Net weight, troy ounces (variable measure N4+N6 NET WEIGHT (t) (***) trade item) 357 n Net weight (or volume), ounces (variable N4+N6 NET VOLUME (***) measure trade item) (oz) 360 n Net volume, quarts (variable measure trade N4+N6 NET VOLUME (q) (***) item) 361 n Net volume, gallons U.S. (variable measure N4+N6 NET VOLUME (g) (***) trade item) 362 n Logistic volume, quarts N4+N6 VOLUME (q), log (***) 363 n Logistic volume, gallons U.S.